Nightgown



lJuly 4, 1939. M, H BRANDES 2,164,896 I NIGHTGowN Filed Nov. 17, 1937 TENT GiFFliCaE NIGHTGOWN Marjorie Heaton Brandes, Chicago,

vIll.

Application November 17, 1937, Serial No. 174,926

v5 Claims.

yMy invention'relates Sto nightgowns and is more specially concerned with a nightgown with a'built-in brassire. Among the objects of my invention is an vimproved manner of incorporating'thebras'sirelinthe nightgown whereby it is not onlyconcealed, but its presence does not 'become apparent and yet the brassire is a'iorded adequate support.

'Another object is a 'functionally improved, but ornamental, shoulder strap serving `both the nightgown andthe built-in brassire.

The foregoingtogether withfurther objects, 'features and advantages of my invention are set forthin the following 'description of a specific embodiment-thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a rear view of a nightgown embodyingr my invention with the lefthalf of'the rear of the-bodice portion` broken awayto show the Vinside or rear elevation of one-half of the brassire;

'Fig.'2 is a front elevation of the upper part of the nightgown;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. l showing the right armhole portion looking 'from within;

Fig..4 is a section taken on theline 'li-li of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a planar development of the inside face ofthe brassire; and

Fig.' 6 isa detail section taken on the line iS-t `DLF-ig. 3 showing-thefpiping at vthe margin of vthe varmhole.

-The nightgown indicated generally as Iii comprises a skirt .portion I l, anda bodice portion i2. AThe front of the bodice portion-may be-formed yby.. a-left front piece I2L and a right front piece IER,` joined to the respective edges of the-back portion-f the bodice by side seams I3 and to the upper edge of the skirt portion II by oblique front seams I4 which meet at the center adjaoentwthetupper edge of the bodice, where they may be dressed by an ornamental ribbon bow I5. A sash-like tie or belt I6 may extend from the side seams I3 in line with the seam of the back of the bodice to the back of the skirt portion and continue as loose ends which may be tied.

The built-in brassire I1 is preferably formed from a left half I'IL and a right hahc I 1R, as shown in Fig. 5. The bottom edge of the brassire is preferably in the outline of a broad V and sewn by bottom seams I8 to the front portion of the bodice. I prefer that the bottom seams I8 of the brassire and the seam I4 which joins the front of the bodice portion to the front of the skirt lbecoinc'ident and, in` fact, a common seam. 'Thecenter portion I9'of the lbottom seam of the brassire,however,v is preferably independent of the seams I4 and serve merely tojoin'. the two khalves of the brassire. The respective ends of the brassire areisewn' -into the 'sideseams VI3 or otherwise attaehe'dtothe bodice'portio'n.

A reinforcement' extends? more or less 'vertically across the medial portionofv each' half WL and llRof the brassire. "'-Thisreinforcement 2e may be tape sewn acrossthe'bra'ssire;"or each half of thebrassire'niay'inlturnlbe formed of two portions joined along' the'line'ofthe reinforcement y20 with such overlapping 'of 'the fabric as to i.constitute a Vsatisfactory tape-like reinforcement. "Eachreinforcement *'20 'extends into a brassire shoulder strap`i2l, Vwhich may either be an integral eXtensonS-of the reinforcement'li or an additionalpiece anchored tothe reinforcement'Z at its upper end. Preferably the strap 2l is of ltubular construction'which may be formed'by sewing' together' the edges .of

a bias tape.

At each side of the front'.portionpfthebodice vI2, theA upper edge'thereof and the end edge or armhole opening margin nconverge to form a point I2P. JA front supporting strapiZZ for'the vbodice Vextends upwardly from the T'point I2P. This may conveniently be a continuation f'the piping which extends along the margin of and ldown to therear shoulderportion of-.the u bodicerwhere they areanchored. Thus 'the' three straps 2|, 22 and.23.extend inmore orlessparallel and close relation `'between-the-frontfand rear shoulder portions. As an expedient for holding them in association as a unit and to augl ment the ornamental effect, I prefer to braid the three straps 2|, 22 and 23 as shown in the drawing.

For the sake of greater clarity the terminal portions of the straps are shown in an unnatural f and distended arrangement in Fig. 3. It will be understood that in practice they look like a unitary braided strap, as indicated in the upper portion of Fig. 3.

The nterbraiding of the three straps has the further functional advantage of a cable in which any undue strain on one strap is, to a large extent, borne by all three, and there is thus much less danger of breaking any individual strap.

The interbraiding of the three straps also tends to hold the strap 2| and hence the brassire in proper vertical relation to the point l2P and in turn the bodice, without the necessity of a fixed anchorage of the strap 2l at the point I2P or at any other point on the front of the bodice. Such an anchorage would be relatively inflexible and might tear lose, whereas the interbraiding of the strap 2| with the other straps forms a. more yielding anchorage, and hence one which is less likely to tear.

As shown best in Fig. 4, the distance starting at the seam I8 and running along' the reinforcement 20 and the strap 2| up to the braided portion is less than the distance at the same region along the body of the bodice itself. Thus, while the brassire is supported in such a manner as to be fairly tight, the portion of the bodice which covers it is left with suicient fullness to drape itself over the brassire in a natural manner calculated to conceal the presence of the brassire. The attachments of the brassire to the inside of the nightgown follow the natural construc tion lines of the nightgown and hence do not reveal or suggest the presence of the brassire thereben-eath. The brassire is, nevertheless, adequately supported.

The term brassire as herein used connotes a brassire of the type Where the material of the brassire covers or overlies the breast, as distinguished from a mere support or uplift.

While I have described and illustrated this specific embodiment of my invention, I contemplate that many changes and substitutions may be made thereover without departing from the scope or spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A nightgown comprising a skirt, a bodice front, a bodice back, a brassire, common side seams joining together the ends of the brassire, bodice front and bodice back, common front seams converging upwardly joining together the lower edges of the bodice front, the lower edges of the brassire and the upper front edge of the skirt, and shoulder strap means connecting the upper edges of the bodice front and back and supporting the upper edges of the brassire, the upper portion of the bodice front extending above and covering, but outwardly free from, the brassire and of greater vertical fullness than the brassire.

2. A nightgown comprising a skirt, a bodice front, a bodice back, a brassire, common side seams joining together the ends of the brassire, bodice front and bodice back, common front seams converging upwardly joining together the lower edges of the bodice front, the lower edges of the brassire and the upper front edge of the skirt, and shoulder strap means connecting the upper edges of the bodice front and back and supporting the upper edges of the brassire, the upper' portion of the bodice front extending above and covering, but outwardly free from, the brassire and of greater vertical fullness than the brassire, the shoulder strap means at each shoulder comprising three interbraided straps, the first eX- tending from the brassire to the bodice back, the second from the bodice front to the bodice back and the third from the bodice back to the bodice front.

3. A nightgown comprising a skirt, a bodice front, a bodice back, a brassire, common side seams joining together the ends of the brassire, bodice front and bodice back, common front seams converging upwardly joining together the lower edges of the bodice front, the lower edges of the brassire and the upper front edge of the skirt, and shoulder strap means connecting the upper edges of the bodice front and back and supporting the upper edges of th-e brassire, the upper portion of the bodice front extending above and covering, but outwardly free from, the brassire and of greater vertical fullness than the brassire, the shoulder strap means at each shoulder comprising three interbraided straps, the rst extending from the brassire to the bodice back, the second from the bodice front to the bodice back and the third from the bodice back to the bodice front, the straps being otherwise unanchored.

4. A nightgown comprising a skirt, a bodice front, a bodice back, a brassire, common side seams joining together the -ends of the brassire, bodice front and bodice back, common front seams converging upwardly joining together the i lower edges of the bodice front, the lower edges of the brassire and the upper front edge of the skirt, and shoulder strap means connecting the upper edges of the bodice front and back and supporting the upper edges of the brassire, the upper portion of the bodice front extending above and covering, but outwardly free from, the brassire and of greater vertical fullness than the brassire, and tape-like reinforcing means extending more or less vertically across the face of each side of the brassire and supportingly connected with the shoulder strap means.

5. A nightgown comprising an upper front body portion, and a brassire mounted inwardly thereof and covered thereby, lines of stitching extending along the lower edge of the brassire securing it to the body portion, and along the ends of the brassire securing them to the body portion at its sides, tape-like reinforcing means extending across substantially vertical medial lin-es ,-1

of the right and left halves of the brassire, and shoulder strap means connected to the reinforcing means for supporting the brassire with greater tautness than the overlying region of the body portion, whereby the latter loosely drapes itself over, and belies the presence of, the brassire.

MARJORIE HEATON BRANDES. 

